Machine fob creasing and finishing leather straps



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W @mi UNITED sTATEs PATENT OEEIOE.

WM. MGK. THORNTON, OF NILES, MICHIGAN.

MACHINE FOR CREASING AND FINISHING- -LEATHER STRAPS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 31,094, dated January 1, 1861.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WM. MOK. THORNTON, of Niles, in the county of Berrien and State of Michigan, have invented a new anduseful improvementI on a creasing-machine by which the dressing, creasing, sleeking out, and refining the grain or face and edges of leather straps shall be performed by an equalized pressure and sliding motion (as in the manual operation of pressing on and sl eeking) of the creasing roller in relation to the base or under roller, substantially in the manner described.

A is the crank by which I force the strap or cause it to be sleekedby the crease roller F, while the strap adheres to the greater surface of H, roller, or base.

B, is the cog, which being of the same diameter, holding the shafts C, C, to the same revolution, while the'iron crease roll and bottom roll are of vdifferent diameter causing them to have no center by which I gain the complete sleeking out and creasing of' a strap. These rollers are of unequal diameters as will be seen by reference to the drawings. rIhe upper roller F, being of a smaller diameter than the lower wooden roller J, thereby causing the upper metallic roller F, to revolve faster than the lower one, thus performing the sleeking operation at the same time the creasing is being done. These unequal rollers F, and J, are of what my invention principally consists, and I wish it to be understood as not confining myself to the present form of crease in the upper metallic roller F.

D, is the spring or pressure (which is of india rubber or its equivalent) straps always varying in thickness and some places hardl while Others are soft and uneven, the strap passing through the machine, the moment it increases in thickness (or solidity the same.) The spring is condensed or strengthened in the same proportion to the necessity of pressure, and should it then reach a soft spot, it then relaxes or eases up as the spring weakens as it expands, always acting according to the requirements of the strap, as by manual bearing on or easing up.

E, is the screw by which the spring is tempered or regulated to suit diierent kinds of leather'.

F, and G, are rolls by which (a trace or any double work 0f :two or more thicknesses) raised work is done at one time, raising filling, sleeking, creasing, and finishing for stitching, saving handling the straps singly and bring out the work with even and sleeked edges, dispensing with tacking up and scraping the edges even and t-he use of filling.

F, and H, are the Vrolls which by the change, are adapted to single straps, making it of double capacity doingdouble and single work.

I is the center of wood rolls which is the center pressure or eXtreme point where the pressure commences causing ythe strap to spread and is held firmly to the sides of lianges causing the finest crease to take effect and at the same time sleeking and linishing the edge of strap equal with the face of strap which is equally essential.

The operation of my machine is as follows: The end of the strap is- 'passed between the unequal rollers and by turning the crank the strap will pass through by the frictionof the lower wooden roller, as before stated, it will be seen that the upper roller revolves faster than the lower one, giving the strap a sleek compressed appearance, and bringing it out sleeked, creased and finished ready for stitching.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the unequal rollers F, and J, operated in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

WVM. MCK. THORNTON.

Witnesses:

GEO. LARZELERE, CLEMERT L. BARRON. 

